CVE-2018-7097 in Service Processor
Summary
by MITRE
A security vulnerability was identified in 3PAR Service Processor (SP) prior to SP-4.4.0.GA-110(MU7). The vulnerability may be exploited remotely to allow cross-site request forgery.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-7097 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the 3PAR Service Processor software ecosystem. This security weakness affects versions prior to SP-4.4.0.GA-110(MU7) and presents a significant risk to enterprise storage environments that rely on HPE 3PAR storage systems. The vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface of the Service Processor, which serves as the primary administrative access point for configuring and monitoring the storage array. The affected system operates with a web server component that processes HTTP requests and responses, making it susceptible to malicious manipulation through forged requests originating from external sources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the origin of HTTP requests within the Service Processor's web interface. When administrators interact with the 3PAR storage system through the web-based management console, the system fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or exploit existing user sessions to perform unauthorized administrative actions without proper authentication. The flaw specifically affects the web application's anti-CSRF protection mechanisms, which are designed to prevent unauthorized commands from being executed on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise to encompass complete administrative control over affected storage systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the authenticated user, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the Service Processor provides critical management functions including user account management, system configuration changes, and storage provisioning operations. Organizations utilizing 3PAR storage arrays in mission-critical environments face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and compliance violations if this vulnerability remains unpatched. The remote exploitability of the flaw means that attackers do not require physical access to the storage infrastructure, making the attack vector more accessible and the potential damage more severe.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7097 should prioritize immediate deployment of the vendor-supplied patch version SP-4.4.0.GA-110(MU7) or later releases that address the CSRF implementation weaknesses. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to restrict access to the Service Processor management interfaces, ensuring that only authorized administrative workstations can reach these critical endpoints. Additional protective measures include enabling multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts, implementing strict firewall rules that limit access to the Service Processor ports, and conducting regular security assessments of the management interfaces. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a critical weakness in the application's session management and request validation processes. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through web application exploitation, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and session management controls within enterprise storage management interfaces.